In a significant blow to the Android and iPhone spyware company NSO, a US court has ruled in Meta's favor, mandating NSO surrender its Pegasus code. This ruling marks yet another setback for NSO amidst a series of legal challenges and financial woes.
Background on NSO
NSO, an Israeli firm renowned for its Pegasus spyware, specializes in remotely hacking iPhones.
Merely receiving a specific iMessage, without any interaction, can compromise an iPhone, exposing nearly all personal data. However, the software firm has faced numerous obstacles, including being blacklisted in the US and lawsuits from tech giants like Apple, according to 9to5Mac.
Related Article: Pegasus Spyware Raising Alarms on Freedom of Press in India
NSO's Financial Setback
The US government's ban on importing and using Pegasus has severely impacted NSO's revenue, particularly from US law enforcement agencies.
Apple's legal actions and alerts to infected iPhone owners have exacerbated NSO's financial crisis. The company's future remains uncertain, with the possibility of dissolution looming.
iPhone Lockdown Mode
The Cupertino giant introduced iPhone Lockdown Mode to protect individuals vulnerable to Pegasus attacks, such as diplomats and activists. This feature disables common attack vectors, offering enhanced security against spyware threats.
Court Orders NSO to Reveal Pegasus Code
Meta, previously known as Facebook, initiated legal action against NSO after discovering Pegasus had targeted around 1,400 WhatsApp users in 2019.
As part of the lawsuit, Facebook's parent firm demanded access to Pegasus' source code and its complete functionalities. Despite NSO's resistance, a US judge ruled in Meta's favor, compelling NSO to comply with the court order.
"NSO Group, the maker of one the world's most sophisticated cyber weapons, has been ordered by a US court to hand its code for Pegasus and other spyware products to WhatsApp as part of the company's ongoing litigation.
The decision by Judge Phyllis Hamilton is a major legal victory for WhatsApp, the Meta-owned communication app which has been embroiled in a lawsuit against NSO since 2019 [...]
She sided with WhatsApp in ordering the company to produce "all relevant spyware" for a period of one year before and after the two weeks in which WhatsApp users were allegedly attacked: from 29 April 2018 to 10 May 2020. NSO must also give WhatsApp information "concerning the full functionality of the relevant spyware".
Ongoing Legal Proceedings
While NSO must relinquish the Pegasus code to Meta, the lawsuit is ongoing, awaiting NSO's compliance, The Guardian reports.
Concurrently, the US government has intensified its crackdown on NSO's activities, imposing visa restrictions on foreign individuals associated with spyware misuse, potentially prohibiting them from entering the US.
The court's decision to compel NSO to disclose the Pegasus code to Meta represents a significant legal victory. As legal battles persist and regulatory scrutiny intensifies, NSO faces mounting challenges, threatening its future operations.
It might be the end for Pegasus spyware so it can rest peacefully soon after causing too much trouble for many organizations and people.
